Chapter 124 Entering the Palace to Persuade
Lou Jin was somewhat surprised. Lou Yan had always been assertive and had never used the word "beg".
"Please speak, Your Majesty."
"Regarding my matter with Beichen, I can still negotiate with my father; he ultimately has to prioritize the greater good. But what about my grandmother…"
Lou Yan paused, a look of melancholy settling over his brow.
“She’s getting old, and she’s very thoughtful. She also values rules and etiquette the most. Beichen went to see her a few times, and although things improved a little, she still couldn’t get over that hurdle in her heart. She loves Beichen, and she loves me too, which is why she feels even more heartbroken and disappointed.”
He looked at Lou Jin with a look of entrustment in his eyes: "Third brother, you have always been the most beloved grandson of the Empress Dowager. Back then, it was you who finally persuaded the Empress Dowager about your affair with Xunyang. Your elder brother would like to ask you to go and persuade the Empress Dowager again."
"As long as she agrees, there won't be any problem with Father Emperor."
Lou Jin looked at the earnest look in his brother's eyes and understood.
Lou Yan and Yu Beichen's relationship was deep and reserved, and had gone through many twists and turns. Although it was not like his relationship with Xun Yang, the steadfastness was the same.
The fact that even his usually aloof and cold-hearted elder brother would lower himself to ask for a favor shows how important Yu Beichen is to him.
Lou Jin said solemnly, "Your Majesty is overthinking this. Your Majesty is not an unreasonable person. She just needs time and a suitable way out. Of course, I am duty-bound to do this."
"But... after it's all done, could you give me that Akhal-Teke horse?"
Lou Yan's tense expression relaxed slightly when he saw Lou Jin agree so readily. He was about to express his gratitude when he heard this sentence.
His Akhal-Teke horse is a rare find in the world; this kid really wants it.
"Fine, if you convince me, I'll give you Zhuiyun." Lou Yan said through gritted teeth.
On the carriage back to the mansion, Ye Xunyang leaned on Lou Jin's shoulder.
"I never expected that someone like His Highness would ask for help for Mr. Yu."
Lou Jin embraced him, his gaze distant: "My brother is cold and hard-hearted, not good at expressing himself, but he is more persistent than anyone else when it comes to the people and things he cares about. He and Mr. Yu have known each other since they were young, and their friendship has long been ingrained in their bones."
"It's just that they lack the life-and-death moments we experience, which makes the Empress Dowager feel that it's not real enough."
"So, how does Your Highness intend to persuade the Empress Dowager?" Ye Xunyang asked, looking up.
Lou Jin smiled slightly, confident: "Grandmother is the most soft-hearted and values sincerity the most. She was able to accept us back then because she saw our vows to each other even in the face of death."
"The reason we have doubts about my brother and Mr. Yu is simply because we feel that their relationship is not clear enough. We just need to let our grandmother see how passionate my brother is beneath his cold exterior, and how deep his affection is hidden beneath Mr. Yu's aloofness."
A few days later, Lou Jin found an opportunity to enter the palace alone to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.
He did not directly mention Lou Yan's matter, but instead, as usual, kept the Empress Dowager company by talking and relieving her boredom. He talked about the interesting and dangerous things that happened during the trip to the southwest, and naturally mentioned Lou Yan's help from afar, as well as how the medicinal herbs provided by Yu Beichen had saved everyone's lives time and time again.
"...Speaking of which, if it weren't for my brother's decisive action upon receiving the letter, dispatching elite troops to provide support, and the fact that we received the miasma-clearing pills prepared in advance by Mr. Yu, I'm afraid my brother and Xunyang would have truly perished in the Blackwater Marsh."
Lou Jin spoke calmly, as if he were just having a casual chat, “Although Mr. Yu is in the capital, his heart is with the border. Those medicines were all prepared in advance with great care.”
The Empress Dowager listened quietly, slowly moving the prayer beads in her hand.
Lou Jin observed the Empress Dowager's expression, then subtly changed the subject, his tone tinged with emotion: "My brother is cold-hearted and doesn't like to talk much, but I know that he and Mr. Yu have their own way of getting along."
"Just like the day I saw a handwritten medical book on my elder brother's desk. The handwriting was elegant and neat, and I could tell at a glance that it was a gift from Master Yu. Even someone as busy with military affairs as my elder brother had turned the pages so many times that the edges were frayed..."
He paused, his voice gentle and earnest: "Grandmother, love in this world is not just one kind of thing. Some people's love is like a raging fire, intense and passionate; others are like still waters, deep and enduring."
"My brother and Mr. Yu are the latter. They have known each other for more than ten years. Although they were separated for a period of time, they have long become an inseparable part of each other's lives. This affection may not be ostentatious, but its depth and sincerity are second to none."
The Empress Dowager stopped fiddling with her prayer beads, raised her eyes, and looked at her most beloved grandson with a complicated expression: "Jin'er, you've become quite eloquent these days."
Lou Jin knelt up straight and met the Empress Dowager's gaze frankly: "Grandson is not using clever words to flatter, but simply reporting what I have seen and felt to Grandmother. Grandson and Xunyang are able to stay together thanks to Grandmother's kindness."
"Your grandson knows that this good fortune is hard-won, and he hopes that his elder brother and Mr. Yu can also receive the understanding and blessings of their grandmother. They... have really had a tough time."
The Cining Palace was quiet, with only the faint scent of sandalwood incense wafting through the air.
The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time, her gaze fixed on the window, as if she could see through the palace walls and into the old days of many years ago.
After a long while, she sighed softly. In that sigh, there was helplessness, relief, and finally a weary compromise.
"Enough...enough..." The Empress Dowager waved her hand, her voice slightly hoarse, "You're all here to collect debts. If I don't agree, Yan'er will probably run off to the border and never come back. And Bei Chen...he's stubborn too."
She looked at Lou Jin, her eyes regaining their usual loving gaze, but now tinged with a world-weary weariness: "Since you put it that way, what can Grandmother say? As long as they feel it's good for themselves, then... they shouldn't regret it later."
Lou Jin felt a great weight lifted from his heart and kowtowed deeply: "On behalf of my imperial brother, I thank my imperial grandmother for her grace!"
"I really don't understand. When I was persuading the Emperor to agree to your marriage with Xunyang, I said that Yan'er was capable of taking on the great responsibility, which is why your father agreed. Now it's as if you two have already discussed it. So who will inherit the throne?"
The Empress Dowager looked helpless; what was she going to do about the throne?
Lou Jin understood his father and empress dowager's intentions, but now there was something more important than the throne, and this way he could also care about the people's livelihood.
"Grandmother, why don't you wait until Xiao Qi and Xiao Jiu grow up? They are both very clever. Perhaps you can ask Father to have a few more children, so that we won't have to worry about not having a good crown prince."
"This is utter nonsense." The Empress Dowager was so angry that she punched him as his words became more and more outrageous.
Upon hearing the news, Lou Yan immediately led his horse to the Prince Jin's mansion. Ye Xunyang's eyes lit up when he saw the Akhal-Teke horse.
Lou Jin knew Ye Xunyang would like it, so he accepted it without any hesitation.
Yu Beichen brought a whole box full of his treasured medicines—some for promoting blood circulation, healing wounds, stabilizing internal energy, reducing swelling, and even aphrodisiacs—and gave them all to them as a token of his gratitude.
On the way back to the Prince's Mansion, Yu Beichen saw Lou Yan's happy yet somewhat troubled expression and teased him.
"Your Highness wouldn't be reluctant to part with that horse, would you? Why don't you tell the Empress Dowager to let it go and have Prince Jin return the horse?"
Lou Yan instantly sobered up upon hearing this.
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. How could Zhuiyun be more important than you?"
"When the time comes, I'll go to the North and buy another one."
Yu Beichen laughed as he watched him anxiously explain, "Alright, I was just kidding. I know you're reluctant, so I'll pay for it for you later, how about that?"
Lou Yan clung to Yu Beichen's arm, relentlessly accusing him.
"Waaaaah, I knew you were the best! That heartless Lou Jin is so greedy, waaaaah!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
